NYC Mayor De Blasio Defends Police Actions in City's Freddie Gray Protests
New York City's Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke out this week in defense of the city's police department and its arresting of 143 individuals protesting the death of Baltimore man Freddie Gray in Union Square.
Police reportedly arrested the 143 protesters during a rally at the city's Union Square on Wednesday evening, causing some to argue that the arrests were unfounded and members of the NYPD were using aggressive tactics to dissipate protesters.
The mayor encouraged residents this week "not to exaggerate what happened" during the arrests on Wednesday, saying that peacefully protesting does not mean disobeying law enforcement.
"I've participated in plenty of protests, on plenty of issues," the mayor said during a press conference this week. "I believe deeply in how nonviolent protest has achieved social change."
"When the police give you instruction, you follow the instruction. It's not debatable," the mayor added.
One person to voice their concern over the NYC arrests made Wednesday night was the Rev. Al Sharpton, an ally of de Blasio who told The Wall Street Journal that he had received reports of "a lot of aggressive behavior" carried out by the NYPD at Wednesday's rally.
"He said he was going to look into it and get back to me," Sharpton added.
Protesters in multiple major cities, especially Baltimore, have taken to the streets to protest the recent death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died of a spinal injury following his arrest in April.
